Author Archives: Joel D. Hirst

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About Joel D. Hirst

Joel D. Hirst is a novelist and a playwright. His most recently released work is "The Unraveling" -- a novel about how it all came apart. He has also written "An Excess of Nationalism", a novel about Soviet Armenia. "Dreams of the Defeated: A Play in Two Acts" is about a political prisoner in a dystopian regime. And "I, Charles, From the Camps" is the story of a young man from the African camps. "Lords of Misrule" is the an epic tale about the making and unmaking of a jihadist in the Sahara. Finally, Hirst has re-published his "San Porfirio" series into one volume "The Epic Tale of Revolutionary Venezuela", about the rise and fall of socialist Venezuela (with magic).

I’m Back — Sort Of…

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

OK, some thoughts on a Sunday morning in Spring: here goes. I’m returning this site to public viewing. Mostly as another place for people to find my novels, books, and paintings, or to give updates. I took all my previous … Continue reading →

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Paintings White I’ve Been Away

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

I am taking a break from writing. I’ve been focusing on painting; the world is drowning in words. I want to see if some colors can make anything any better. My last painting was one of Chicago, trying to capture … Continue reading →

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More Paintings While I Was Away

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

Still not writing much. But here’s some paintings:

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Maria Corina Machado Live

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

Last time I saw MCM was in Rosario, Argentina during a Freedom Foundation event with Nobel Prize winning novelist Mario Vargas Llosa. Who would have thought MCM would go on to win her own prize. It was very nice to … Continue reading →

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Spring 2026 Brings More Paintings

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Joel D. Hirst

Am I improving?

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There Once Was a Dream That Was Rome…

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Joel D. Hirst

“There was once a dream that was Rome, you could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish.” Marcus Aurelius, ‘The Gladiator’. Republics are funny things. They are resilient; not brittle or sclerotic like we are … Continue reading →

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The Suicide of Venezuela

Posted on April 23, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

I never expected to witness the slow suicide of a country, a civilization. I suppose nobody does. Let me tell you, there’s nothing epic about it. We who have the privilege of travel often look down in satisfaction at the … Continue reading →

Posted in International Affairs, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 740 Comments